Lovesick Episode
by XAllTheGoodUsernamesAreTakenxX
Summary: What of there was some truth behind the rumor of Cleo and Zane liking each other? Lovesick episode only with more Cleo and Zane moments. Only scenes with Cleo and Zane, everything else will be skipped.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to H2O, or any of the characters.**

Starts after Cleo's swim with the dolphin and she is in the Juicenet with Rikki.

Miriam hits the ball. She claps her hands and jumps up and down.

"Yay", she tells the two boys next to her.

"Those guys are morons." says Rikki shaking her head in disbelief as she watches the scene in front of her. "They hang on her every word."

"Still I wish someone would have the "hots" for me like that. Moron or not." Cleo responded, looking at Miriam with a little envy.

"Don't worry Cleo. Someday someone will find you attractive and it'll come when you least expect it" Rikki reassured Cleo. As she was saying this Zane happened to be around and Zane being Zane he couldn't help but eavesdrop a bit.

 _If I were Cleo's friend I wouldn't feed her such lies. Someone finding Cleo attractive, as if._ Zane thought, smiling to himself, he found her attractive. _Who would find sweet, innocent, probably prudish, beautiful Cleo attractive? I know I wouldn't- Wait. Did I just call Cleo beautiful? No scratch that, scratch all of it, except the part about her being a prude._ Zane shook his head and tuned back into the conversation.

"A bit like zits" Rikki said making Zane wish he had come by at a different time

"And sweat marks under your armpits…" Cleo notices Zane and stops talking before she really embarrasses herself.

Zane smiles. _Only Cleo can make sweaty armpits sound cute._ "Cleo can I have a word?"

"As if Cleo would waste her breath talking to you." Rikki tells Zane. Zane can't help but feel hurt and angry at Rikki's comment. Who was this girl anyways? She had just moved here recently, so why did she hate him so much? What had he ever done to her? He was sure the only reason she hated him so much was because he had money and access to things she could only dream about.

"Well, she wastes it on you every day." Zane tells her, hoping to get her to back off long enough for him to ask Cleo for help.

"It's Okay Zane. We can talk." Cleo says hoping to stop the fight before it happens. _I know by now it shouldn't surprise me, but everyone time Zane comes up to me and asks to talk I can't help but feel surprised. He is never embarrassed to be seen talking to a big loser like me. It's like he knows how popular he is and no one dares to say anything bad about him, or at least to his face._

Cleo gets up and follows Zane to another table. _Weird, usually he just quickly gives me a heads up about something Miriam is planning for me then he is on his way. I wonder what's so important._

Zane can't help but feel a little nervous, this whole thing was starting to feel like a date. A date, isn't that the reason why he had come over for. To ask her out on a date.

"Can I buy you a wheatgrass shot?" He asks working up the courage to ask her out.

Cleo on other hand isn't feeling nervous, but confused. _Why would he offer to buy me something? Zane may be rich but I now that he would never spend his money on anyone unless he gets something in return._

"No thanks." Cleo says.

 _He could just be being nice but better to be safe than sorry. Why is Rikki looking over here? Can she feel my embarrassment and distress?_

Rikki couldn't help but feel a little jealous over Cleo. _It'll come when you least expect it Cleo, more like when we all least expect it. He could just be asking her for a favor, right. What do I care? I don't even like Zane, I only feel like this because she found her "least expected" so fast. No, it was just a coincidence that Zane was there right after I said that, right?_

"So, how's work?" Zane makes small talk hoping that it could lead up to his big question.

"You're starting to creep me out Zane." Cleo immediately regrets saying that.

"What do you want?" She tries again, but it still comes out a bit rude sounding.

 _I knew she wasn't interested in me. I mean, why would she? All I ever do is make fun of her. Still, I thought she would have sounded more excited, I mean I did take time out of my day to talk to her…Oh, now I see how she couldn't be interested in me. Well, plan B it is then. If I can't get the girl, then at least I can get the sea creature, right?_ Zane thought, a little disappointed with the way the conversation was going.

"Nothing…" _Could I do it? Just ask her out already, mate. Okay, I'm going to do it, here it goes._

"Well…" _Come on, almost there, just say, do you want to go on a date with me?_ Zane was starting to get frustrated with his inner self, and his sudden case of shyness.

"The marine park library has research material on every sea creature there is, right?" _Dammit._

"I guess." _Woah,"_ Cleo thought. " _For a second there I thought he was going to ask me out. I know that Zane would never be interested in someone like me, but this whole thing does have a sort of date like vibe. Rikki probably thinks we are secret lovers by now or something._ Cleo glances over to look at Rikki, and sure enough there she was peeking over a server, trying to glance at the two "lovers".

"So, can you get me access?" Zane asks, a bit nervous. _I don't I can handle her rejecting over something this stupid. I could just use this as an excuse to get closer to her, try to win her heart, or whatever._

"Probably, but why would I want to do that?" Cleo says in what she hopes would be a reasonable tone. _I don't care about how rude I sound right now, why should I help my biggest bully get what he wants? There is nothing that his handsome face can tell me to change my mind._

 _Alright, Zaney boy, time to bring out the big guns, girls like sensitive guys, right?_

"It really burns me that some sea creatures are becoming extinct before they're even discovered." _Oh yeah, I'm back, baby._ "I'm interested in doing some research that could help save them." Zane smiles, _there is no way that sweet Cleo is going to deny me now, not with the innocent sea creatures involved._

"Wow, I'm really surprised, Zane." Cleo smiles. _Wow, who knew Zane had a soft side?_ "I'll see what I can do?" She gives Zane a once over, who was she kidding, she totally checked him out. She couldn't help it, he just got a lot cuter in her eyes.

 _What are those two talking about?_ Rikki wonders, _Stupid waitress is blocking the view. What was so important that Zane couldn't ask Cleo in front of me? Could he…No, he couldn't have…Could he have asked Cleo out on a date?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Cleo." Zane calls out. "Um, thanks for getting me access to the library, nice one." Zane looks away. _Nice one? Nice One? Did I really just say that, man, I sound like a dork. Why couldn't I just ask her out? I don't have any intention on saving sea creatures. How is this helping me get closer to Cleo? I can't believe-_

"That's OK, Saved any creatures yet?" Cleo interrupts his train of thought.

"What?" Zane asks distracted. "Oh, yeah, I'm working on it." _Just like I'm working on asking you out. I better go before I embarrass myself._ "I got a go, see ya."

Zane saw Cleo out by the dolphin exhibit and he couldn't help but take advantage of the opportunity. He was trying to spend more time with Cleo. _Okay Zane, you can do this, just casually walk in front of her. If she doesn't notice you or talks to you, just abort the mission and keep moving._

"More research?" Cleo asks a bit surprised. _I don't think I've seen him interested in something this much since, well ever actually. Zane really has impressed me with his interest in saving animals, but what is he doing all the way over here? The library is in the very center. Why did he go so far out of his way to read? It's so much quieter in the library than out here._

 _Bingo._ Zane thought."Yeah, it's been great." _So far, so good. Time to pick this up a notch._

"But I totally underestimated the intelligence of sea creatures." Zane said, hoping that Cleo would be impressed. _I don't know what I'm talking about. Oh God, she's going to think I'm an idiot._

"Yeah, well. Some sea mammals might be a little too intelligent if you ask me." Cleo says, thinking back to what her boss said earlier about Ronny having a crush on her.

 _And we are back to square one. She didn't seem too impressed by my researching skills. What did you think was going to happen? I did bully her for a very long time, it's not like she's going to forget about that just because I read a couple of papers._

"Whatever." Zane says hoping that he came off as disinterested instead of disappointed. _She's walking away, quick say something Zane, anything._

"The thing that saved me must have been really smart." _Anything but that._

"What? Is this about that stupid sea monster thing again, Zane?" _How could I not of thought of that? Of course he was researching that stupid "sea monster". Rikki, why couldn't you have just let him die? How could I be so stupid? I was so distracted by the idea that he was around to spend more time with me that I never thought he might have actually been doing research. I know he won't find any real information on mermaids because already looked through everything in that library, but still, I could have very easily missed something important._

"It's not stupid." _Oh, yes it is, and you know it too._

"The only reason I got you access to the library was because I thought you wanted to save undiscovered and in danger sea animal." _How did I not see through that lie? Saying it out loud, I can see how ridiculous that sounds. I should have known, I mean, this is Zane we are talking about here. He doesn't do anything unless it benefits him._

"This thing is undiscovered." _Maybe there is still hope in impressing her._ "See, don't you get it."

"You are so devious, Zane." Cleo says, starting to get angry. _Why did I think that Zane could be interested in me, or worse, why would I_ want _him to be interested in me? I can't really hate that much, he knows what he wants and he knows how to get it, which is more than my clumsy, tongue-tied self, can say._

"You say that like it's a negative." _I'm being devious right now, tricking you into having a conversation with me. I think she might be flirting with me a little, devious is a flirting word for sure. She could have just said jerk or something._

"Hey," Cleo says, getting an idea. _I can be devious to, Zane._ "What with all your new fishy knowledge, what do you know about dolphins?"

"Enough to know that they aren't fish, they're mammals." _I can't believe it, my Cleo is pretty dumb if she thinks that dolphins are fish._ Zane looks at her, hoping that he misinterpreted the question.

"Oh, yeah." Cleo remembered her boss had mentioned that a couple of times. _I hope he doesn't think I'm stupid or anything._

 _She was being one hundred percent serious. Cleo can even make being dumb look cute._

Awkward silence fills the air.

"Anyway, do dolphins ever get crushes?" _I'm past the point of redemption, so I might as well ask the question and risk sounding even dumber._

Zane quickly looks up. "Crushes?" _Who said anything about crushes? Does she know that I have a crush on her, is that why she's asking? No, breath, calm down, she was talking about the dolphin._

"Not exactly, they are instinctive carer's though." _I got her attention, I just have to keep on me long enough to finish this conversation and ask her out._

"Meaning?" Cleo asks, curious to know what Zane has learned.

"According to this stuff, they have a complex social networks and hierarchies." Zane begins, then he notices Cleo looking away. _Dammit, is she bored already. Why did she ask me if she wasn't even going to pay attention?_

"Basically," he starts again hoping to get her attention again, before he loses his temper, "what matters to them is families and finding food for each other, they, I don't know bond over that sort of stuff." _Abort mission, I sound like an idiot, and Cleo is looking at me like I'm stupid._

"Here," he hands her the notes that he was reading, "read it yourself I can't be bothered."

 _I take back what I told Lewis earlier, he is bad, and rude, and mean._ Cleo looks after him, a bit upset with the way the conversation went. _I can't give up though, I need to know what he knows._

"Hey, look at this, the marine park rescued a pregnant dolphin the other day, how cool is that?" Cleo says in amazement. _Sometimes I forget that I'm very lucky to be working here, I'm also lucky that I haven't been discovered._

"Get a life, Cleo." _Why can't she just let me lick my wounds in peace? The one time I don't want her to pay attention to me and she's sticking to me like gum._

"I'm not the one hunting sea monsters." _What a jerk!_ Cleo shoves the papers back to Zane. _If this is how he is going to act, then you can forget trying to spend more time with him._ Cleo starts to walk faster trying to get away from Zane.

Zane quickly grabs the papers before they fall, and looks at Cleo walking away from him. _Idiot, if she didn't hate you before she does now. My chances with Cleo just went from bad to worse. No, I can still fix this. Man, she walks really fast._

Zane quickly catches up with her, neither one of them noticing the trio spying on them.

"Cleo, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come off like a jerk. I know I must seem crazy or stupid but this thing saved my life. I want to, no, I have to know what it is." Zane had giving up on trying to impress Cleo, and decided to be partially honest with her.

"It's okay, Zane, I get it. I really do, I know what it's like to want answer for something unknown, just take it from me, don't let it consume you because you aren't going to find anything." _I hope I didn't give too much away_

 _And just like that I'm not mad anymore. A few words from Cleo, and I feel like a different man._

"Thanks, Cleo. I won't okay, see ya later."

"Bye" Cleo says, before they go off to their very different lives.

Zane was heading back to the marine park, hoping to get a bit more "research" done. He decided to take the long way, so he can run into Cleo. _There she is, just like I thought, dotting over a dolphin. Alright, Zane, you know the drill, just casually walk by her._

 _Poor Ronny, I wonder what could be wrong with him._ Cleo sees someone moving in her peripheral, she does a double take. _Zane, oh no, what is he doing back here. Wait, Zane! Maybe he knows how to help Ronny._

"Zane, have you read anything about dolphin's fasting?" Cleo walks up to Zane, hoping to get his attention long enough for an answer.

"What?" That was not what he was hoping Cleo would say to him. _Is she still talking about that stupid dolphin, I mean, what's so special about that dolphin?_

"Like the 40-hour famine, yeah right?" _Like a dolphin knows what that is, according to the papers I read, food is important to them-Unbelievable she didn't wait for me to finish before she turned back to that stupid dolphin._

"Who's in the other pond, and what's Ronny doing over there?"Cleo asks. "Is that the pregnant dolphin they rescued the other day?"

"Yeah, that's Jemima." Cleo boss says.

 _What does Ronny starving have to do with the pregnant dolphin in the other pond? Weird, what was that thing Zane said, dolphins are mammals not fish. No that wasn't it…_

"Wait a minute," Cleo quickly flips through the papers that Zane has with him, "That thing you were saying the other day, about dolphins being instinctive carer's." _I can't believe I forgot about that, but to be honest I was a little preoccupied with the fact that Zane might found out our secret._

"Here it is, during gestation the connectivity of cetaceans is at its peak, leading to cumulative sensory awareness and weird behaviors." _Of course, why didn't she see it when she first heard about the pregnant dolphin? If they are instinctive carer's then that means that Ronny isn't eating because he's making sure Jemima has enough to eat. Aww, my Ronny is so sweet, if only human boys could be that sweet._

"Does anyone understand that long-winded tripe? Zane laughs. _Come on Zane, give her a break. I'm the one that told her about it, sure I didn't understand what I was reading, but surely Cleo doesn't understand either. I know she forgot that dolphins are mammals and not fish, but she does have her smart moments, maybe this is one of them._

"I-uh- I wrote that article, mate." Cleo's boss, Mitch, says.

Zane has the decency to at least look embarrassed. _Way to go, Zane. Cleo will definitely be impressed with you calling her boss's work tripe._

"Check this out," Cleo says while putting on gloves. _If Zane doesn't get what I'm trying to say, I'm just going to have to show them._

"Ronny!" Cleo calls out. She tosses him a fish, and sure enough, he heads to the edge of the pond and tosses the fish over. Cleo nods her head as she watches her theory get proven.

"Get out of here." Mitch says. "You cheeky fella."

 _Unbelievable, Cleo was right._ Zane thought, _I have to admit, I did doubt for a second, but she, once again, surprised me. That's a woman I can spend the rest of my life with and never get bored._

"That's all he wanted to do. He was giving his food to Jemima. All he wanted was a girlfriend."

 _Yeah, I can relate with wanting a girlfriend too, maybe me and that stupid dolphin aren't that different._

As they both watch Mitch lift up the separator between the two ponds, neither one of them was thinking about the problems in their lives. Cleo wasn't thinking about Zane finding out her secret, and Zane wasn't thinking about Cleo. They were both struck by wonder at the beauty and intelligence that were dolphins.

"Aren't they gorgeous together?" Cleo glances back at Zane, seeing the disinterested look on his face.

"Don't be such a boy, Zane." She reaches over for his hand. "Admit it, this is cool."

 _She's holding my hand, all I had to do to get her attention was to just be disinterested on the dolphin._ Zane smiles at Cleo, _this is pretty cool._

Cleo and Zane get down on their knees to get a closer look at the pair of dolphins. Mitch was telling them a bit more about dolphin behavior when they hear…

"I knew it! Stop the wedding!"

"What!" _KIM!_ Cleo internally screams. _What is she talking about now? Wedding!_

 _Wedding! Who's getting married? I can't even ask Cleo out on a date, let alone propose to her. Oh no, is that my dad with them. He's going to be so pissed._

"We were helping a sick dolphin. Like I said. Why? What did you think was going on? _I can't really blame them, I also thought that Zane was into me for a bit. He was giving some I'm interested in you vibes._

Back at the Sertoris Home.

"I can't believe you thought that Cleo and me were-"he paused "Cleo and me." Zane smiles and glances at Cleo. _I like the way that sounds. Cleo and me._


	3. Not an Update

Okay, so to the two people that commented that they want more of the story, you got your wish. I have decided that I want to expand more on this Cleo and Zane romance that I created in my head all those years ago. I am going to leave this story alone and start a new one because I want to start from the very first episode lead up to the Lovesick Episode and go as far as my imagination will take this story. I might want to change up the Lovesick Episode a bit which is also the reason why I wanted to just start fresh. I don't know yet when the new story will go up because I want to have at least a couple of chapters written so I can have a reliable updating schedule. I want to have the first chapter out by the end of this month though so just keep your eyes out.


End file.
